PollWatch 2012, Ctd.: Reverchon Park, Dallas

I saw a number of the posts regarding the photo ID law and felt compelled to respond now that I’ve experienced the process as an election judge:

1.Â The request for a voter registration card or photo ID is entirely reasonable when you have voting for several precincts at 1 location, such as Reverchon Park.Â We had approximately 10 precincts.Â If you don’t have your voter registration card, there is no way of knowing which line you should be in.Â With the registration card, the clerks can put you right in the proper line because they know what precinct you are voting in.Â Without the card, a voter can wait for 30 minutes, get to the clerk, and as each clerk may only be handling 2-3 precincts, the voter could be in the wrong line and have to go to another line and repeat the process all over again.

2.Â I cannot speak for every precinct, but the notion that precinct workers or judges are trying to suppress votes is far from reality.Â First of all, I think almost all election volunteers take the process seriously and want people that are registered to vote to get their ballotsÂ Every now and then an early voter would try to vote twice or some other irregularity would occur, but they are quickly addressed, and if there is any issue, the voter can always sign a provisional ballot.Â Of course, each deviation from the norm takes time for the election clerks / judges, and that is why the lines can be long and move slow.

Bottom line – when there are several hundred people waiting to vote, if everyone cooperates and bring their registration cards, the process moves much faster.Â I would bet that less than 40% of voters bring their cards with them.